“WELCOME TO MOE’S!” is what the hostesses and servers say to you as you step foot in Moe's Southwest Grill on Jefferson Davis Highway.

The menu is on the wall and at first glance it looks limited. The offerings appear to be of Mexican cuisine: burritos, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, nachos, salsa and chips. But then I turned the corner to order and found a whole new world awaiting me.

This is no ordinary Mexican restaurant. Moe’s is fresh, wholesome and delicious with great flavors. 

Some facts I learned:

• Moe’s does not have a freezer; everything is delivered fresh and prepared on the spot.
• Moe’s does not have a microwave. Moe’s cares about high-quality, sustainability and nutritional content. From vegetarian to gluten-free to low-calorie to ingredients without hormones, steroids, added preservatives, trans fat or MSG. 

This sounds healthy and environmentally friendly so I assumed the "Food Network-worthy" items would be short listed. I was wrong and pleasantly surprised as to what I found to be not only delicious, but awesome.

Moe’s starts off with an item I have not seen in Fredericksburg before and one that really isn’t on the menu board but the regulars who know Moe’s just ask for it.  It is called the "Taco Stack,"  a bigger and healthier version of a Hot Pocket. A 12-inch fresh flour tortilla is placed on the prep table and then a corn tortilla is set in the middle.  Then they ask what your favorites are for the inside, and mine went like this: rice, black beans, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, black olives, grilled green peppers, fresh-roasted corn pico, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, sour cream, lettuce, fresh guacamole, and queso. There are even more options, but keeping them to what will fit on the tortilla is a challenge. They top it with another corn tortilla, and then wrap the flour one underneath in a very pretty—and big—package. You could put a bow on it at this point, but they grill it on each side and serve it to you with fresh chips and your choice of one or all five of their fresh salsas. Have them cut it in half because it can be as thick as three inches and it is eight inches in diameter.

If you are a meat eater the beef is 100 percent sirloin steak, grass-fed and no hormones added. The chicken is all-natural cage-free skinless white meat and the pork is grain-fed, as well hormone and steroid free. Vegetarians can be reassured that all grills and utensils are not cross contaminated with meat and veggies.

The Billy Barou piled high to the sky layered Nachos can be made with chicken, pork, ground beef, steak or tofu. This is a meal in itself when topped with grilled onion and green peppers, mushrooms, black beans, shredded cheddar cheese, roasted corn pico, black olives, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, Queso cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Nachos as a complete meal are the norm at Moe’s, but sharing an order as a side is very popular.

Their big chunky burritos have names like "Homewrecker," "Joey Bag of Donuts," and "Art Vandalay." After you choose your meat or tofu there are 25 fresh free ingredients in which to build your own masterpiece.  I think because the fresh ingredients are free, that was a big reason why I wanted everything piled on that burrito. How they were able to stretch the flour tortilla around that massive heap of healthy was a magic act.

There is nothing like fresh-made tortilla chips and fresh-made salsa and Moe’s not only serves them free with their meals, but they make five different salsas daily and have them on a bar where you can help yourself to all of them (I don't like it when a restaurant gives you a tiny shallow dish of salsa and a huge basket of chips and you have to continually ask the waiter for more salsa). Three salsas are staples and two varieties change making the choices different every time you visit. The Jalapeno Lime made with all natural ingredients and the Tomatillo were the two I chose and they were bursting with flavor and freshness.

The Big Burrito can be a challenge to consume at the office or in any public setting, so you can choose those same ingredients in one of their Rice Bowls.  But the Rice Bowls hold even more of the fresh, free 25 ingredients, which explains why mine weighed 2 pounds!  The Rice Bowls are perfect for picking up and putting in the fridge for eating later on, or eating it throughout the day.

Moe’s does catering and they will set up a taco bar, burrito bar or a fajita bar at your location. They will even stay and help serve and clean up.  Their food offers something for everyone: the Mexican food lover, the health lover, the dieter, the vegetarian and the gluten-free eater.  I like it—no, I love it— and I want some 'Moe' of it. I wanted to try the "A Taco Called Wanda" which has lemon-pepper grilled white fish, southwestern slaw, chipotle ranch sauce and pico de gallo, but I was stuffed like one of their burritos! Next visit it is tops on my list, after I get the salsa and chips of course.

Moe’s Southwest Grill is located at 10041 Jefferson Davis Hwy.  When you go to Moe’s, go hungry, and tell them you are there for some Awesome Fresh Eats as seen in Fredericksburg Patch.